The present invention relates to a removable storage system for vehicle and more specifically to an adjustable box liner that can be disassembled when not in use.
Minivans are presently very popular for family transport. One of the great advantages of the Minivan is its versatility. A minivan may perform family related transport functions on weekends and evenings while providing business transportation during the day. In order to meet these varying needs, minivans are designed with removable seats, fold down seats, and other storage related advantages while also supporting the creature comforts such as dual heating systems, airbags, ABS brakes, leather seats, and so forth. Unfortunately, in using a minivan for work related transport, often damage occurs to carpet walls and ceiling. Thus, there is a balance between suitable work functions for a xe2x80x9cfamilyxe2x80x9d minivan. This often results in a need for two different vehicles even when one would suffice.
For work, mini vans are useful for transporting xe2x80x9cheavy dutyxe2x80x9d material, for example heavy tools, as well as fragile cargo such as groceries. Of course, owners of xe2x80x9cfamilyxe2x80x9d minivans do not wish to damage the inside walls and floor of the rear of the van while using their vehicle. Typically, owners of minivans who transport heavy tools, building materials and other heavy items in the cargo compartment of their vehicle have significant damage to that cargo area because while transporting these items, they often bounce and cause denting or damage to the carpet and plastic walls or ceiling. Since much of the minivan market is for xe2x80x9cfamilyxe2x80x9d vehicles, the damage so caused reduces the vehicle""s overall value.
In order to protect the interior of cargo vans or pickup truck beds, various systems were developed. Unfortunately, few if any of these systems are applicable to the xe2x80x9cfamilyxe2x80x9d minivan. This is because they are not easily removed or stored. For a family vehicle, it is inconvenient to require an entire garage bay to store a liner or liner parts. Also, there is a distinct advantage in having the family vehicle transformable into a cargo vehicle simply, effectively, and at will without the inconvenience of additional storage areas or tools.
Prior art devices fail to achieve the above noted advantages. For example the liner for van cargo compartment disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,431, to McDonald. McDonald teaches a liner that comprises a plurality of panels and when the desired positions of the panels are attained, holes are drilled through the panels to allow screws to be tightened until they secure themselves in the interior panels of the vehicle. Unfortunately, this results in a non-transformable vehicle.
To overcome the permanence of the McDonald system, Blyth et al. disclose, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,550, a van liner composed of reinforced plastic sections that are tightened together to form an insulated liner easily assembled, disassembled and transferred. The liner covers the whole cargo compartment. Unfortunately, the van liner disclosed by Blyth takes time for assembling and disassembling thereof. Furthermore, the numerous sections are difficult to store when the liner is disassembled. Moreover, the various components are suitable for one model of vehicle and the liner is difficult to assemble in another model of vehicle having different dimensions.
There are a number of desirable objectives in relation to cargo compartment liner inserts for vans, trucks, cars, and similar vehicles. Preferably, a liner is designed such that it is easily insertable and removable within the limited access space found in vans, station wagons or sport utility vehicles. It is also preferable to provide for a storage compartment that serves a dual protective function. A first protective function is by lining the interior surface of the vehicle cargo compartment, allowing transport of cargo easily accessible from the seating area of the vehicle. In absence of protective surface, the cargo could damage the interior of the vehicle, reducing its value. A second protective function is by protecting the cargo from the chocks due to the vehicle movements.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,700, Stannis et al. disclose an adjustable storage system including a platform; at least a fixed side and a movable side slidably mounted to the platform. The movable side can be locked in a variety of approximately continuous adjusted position with respect to the fixed side to provide lateral support for packages. However, this adjustable storage system does not provide a protective liner for the vehicle""s interior.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,078, Smyl discloses a protective liner that comprises many panels removably and tightly connected by latch means; the panels forming an interior wall for a pickup truck box. The geometry of the device according to Smyl restricts its use to a specific geometry of vehicle. Specifically, though adjustable, the insert of Smyl cannot be transferred from one model of vehicle to anther model of vehicle unless the two models have their back wheels at the same location relatively to the tailgate, and the position of the passenger compartment. Further, the larger of the panels has to be precisely adjusted to allow the latch mechanism to function. Moreover, the latch mechanisms have to be easily accessible to facilitate the assembling and disassembling of the system. This implies that they are also easily damageable by the cargo. Potentially, the latch mechanisms can also damage the cargo in the charging and discharging process.
In minivans, station wagons or sport utility vehicles, the size of the cargo that is preferably carried corresponds more or less to the height of the back seat to avoid obstruction of the sight through the back mirror. Further, in case of accident, to avoid the cargo to fly through the car, it is preferable that no un-secured cargo passes over the back of the seat, which potentially endangers the passengers and/or the driver of the vehicle.
It would be advantageous to provide an adjustable storage device for storing and securing cargo in the trunk area of a minivan, station wagon, sport utility vehicles or any of this type of vehicle. A further asset would be to provide a system that operates in two modes, an assembled lining mode and a disassembled mode for storing thereof when not in use.
It is an object of this invention to provide with a storage system easily assembled and positioned in a cargo space of a vehicle.
It is an object of this invention to provide with a stackable storage system when either in the assembled or disassembled mode of operation.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a box liner comprising:
a molded bottom plate having a bottom lip of a predetermined height formed about a perimeter thereof;
a wall comprising at least one panel section including a plurality of panels and a hinge portion between two panels of the plurality of panels for permitting bending of the wall at the hinge portion for disposing the two panels with a relative angle therebetween, the two panels for having an end disposed adjacent the bottom lip with the hinge portion proximate a corner of the molded bottom plate, the portions for being biased by the bottom lip in an inward direction relative to an enclosure formed by the box liner and for being biased toward the bottom lip; and,
a molded top for being disposed adjacent the wall and at a location opposite the bottom plate in an approximately parallel relationship thereto, whereby the top, the wall and the bottom plate when assembled form an enclosure therein allowing access within the enclosure.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a box liner comprising:
a molded bottom plate having a bottom lip of a predetermined height formed about a perimeter thereof;
a sidewall comprising a plurality of panels and a plurality of hinge portions therebetween for permitting bending of the sidewall at these hinge portions for disposing the panels with relative angles therebetween, the sidewall for being disposed adjacent the bottom lip for being biased thereby in an inward direction relative to an enclosure formed by the sidewall and the molded bottom plate; and,
a molded top for being disposed adjacent the continuous wall and at a location opposite the bottom plate in an approximately parallel relationship thereto, whereby the top, the sidewall and the bottom plate when assembled form an enclosure therein allowing access within the enclosure.